Van Riemsdyk out for Toronto against Hurricanes

Van Riemsdyk out for Toronto against HurricanesToronto Maple Leafs wing James van Riemsdyk is dealing with back spasms and will not play Thursday against the visiting Carolina Hurricanes. Toronto coach Randy Carlyle revealed Thursday that van Riemsdyk will miss his second straight game and remains "day-to-day."

"He did skate [Wednesday], and we felt that was an improvement," Carlyle said. "But he's kind of plateaued or flattened out here, and we're not going to put him on the ice in a situation where we think we're going to possibly have him have any setback."

Van Riemsdyk was a late scratch for Toronto's 4-1 home win Tuesday and skated with the team the following day before leaving after 30 minutes. In six games this season, van Riemsdyk is tied for the team lead with five goals. He played in all 48 games last season, but was limited by injuries to 43 games in 2011-12 with the Philadelphia Flyers, who traded him that summer to the Maple Leafs for defenseman Luke Schenn.

He's only 17 but he can see the ice so well and he moves the puck and goes to the open ice all the time, so I just think he's a player that is ready to play in the NHL. I'm really looking forward to coaching someone like this.

— U.S. National Junior Team coach Ron Wilson on Auston Matthews, the projected No. 1 pick of the 2016 NHL Draft